Rotary explosive-engine.



No. 740,138. PATENTED SEPT. 29, 1903.

- G- R. JAMES.

ROTARY EXPLOSIVE ENGINE.

APPLIQATION FILED SEPT. 25, 1899. RENEWED FEB. 11, 1903.

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No. 740,138. PATENTBD SEPT. 29, I903.

c. R. JAMES.

ROTARY EXPLOSIVE ENGINE. nrmouron FILED 83M. 25, 1899. RENEWED FEB. 11, 1903. no MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET z.

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UNITED STATES latented September 29, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

ROTARY exproswe-zncmz.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 740,138, dated September 29, 1903. Application filed September 25,1899. Renewed February 11. 1908. Serial No. 142,963. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, CHRISTOPHER R. JAMES, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, and a resident of Jersey City, Hudson county, and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Explosive- Engines, of which the following is a specification.

The objects of this invention are to reduce the friction of the pistons upon the interior Walls of the cylinders, especially Where said walls lie outside of the longitudinal axes of said cylinders and will receive the pressure of the pistons due to the exertion of centrifugal force occasioned by the rapidrotation of the cylinders about the central shaft or axis common to the plurality of cylinders, to reduce the cost of construction, to secure a more regular, smooth, and positive movement of the engine, to obtain greater durability of structure, to effect at one time both a' high piston-speed and a slow rotary movement of the cylinder and connections,-whereby a complexity of reducing-gearing is avoided, and at the same time to provide a device that will not be so acted upon by centrifugal force as that the movements of the pistons within the cylinders will be retarded or obstructed, and

to secure other advantages and results, some of which may be referred to hereinafter in connection with the description of the working parts.

The invention consists in the improved explosive-engine and in the arrangements and combinations of parts of the same, all substantially as will be hereinafter set forth and finally embraced in the clauses of the claim.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both figures, Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improved engine; and

Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same,taken through the longitudinal axes of the cylinders, as at line 3 of Fig. 1.

In carrying out my invention a suitable shaft 0, is provided with three (more or less) cylinders 17, mounted on said shaft transversely at equidistant points circumferentially when two or more are used and being integrally formed with said shaft or otherwise rigidly connected therewith, as at c. Said cylinders are preferably provided with a jacket-chamberfor circulating waterand with passages (1, connected with a bore of the'shaft for the supply and escape of Water in any suitable manner. Said cylinders 12 b are so arranged that an approximately central transverse plane'throu'gh each of said cylinders disposedperpendicular to the longitudinal axis of each cylinder will each contain the axis of the main shaft a.

In the construction preferred the bodies of the cylinders are formed in one integral casting onewith the other and with the central hub with which the rotary tubular shaft is' integrally formed or otherwise connected, so as to rotate together; To secure the greatest compactness and bring the cylinders as near as possible to the center of rotation, so that the pistons in said cylinders will be acted as little uponby centrifugal force as possible, which force tends to cause a frictional contact of the piston against the inner walls of the outer parts of the cylinders, I have arranged said cylinders so that the open end of one of said cylinders will'terminate at the head of the next'of the series, as shown in Fig. 2.

The cylindrical portions of the integral piece are each cored out and chambered, as at f, and interiorly fitted with inner cylinders b, in and against which the pistons hereinafter referred to Work reciprocally. The water-jacket chambers are in open communication with the hollow shaft or, so that water can flow from the shaft into and from the Water-jackets to keep the same cool.

The pluralityof inner cylinders 12 are held against displacement by centrifugal force by the one integral inclosing piece or casting, and the brackets or bearings h for the crankshafts 't', hereinafter referred to, are also formed integral with the outer cylinder-bodies to prevent displacement under centrifugal force.

The shaft or is mounted in suitable supporting-standards g. The cylinders are of the trunk-engine form and carry the crankbearing brackets h on one end, in which a crank-shaft 1 is mounted on each cylinder, respectively, and each crank-shaft is geared by a spur-pinion j on it with a stationary spur-wheel 70,-the axis of which last is coincident with the shaft a, which extends through ICO the said spur-wheel. The pinions j rotate with the crank-shafts and revolve about the stationary spur-wheel with which they intermesh.

The crank-shafts t' are connected to the pistons k by rods Z, so as to be rotated when motion is communicated to the pistons.

Suitable devices and means are provided for imparting power to the pistons, controlling the flow of water to the water-jackets, and securing an efficient operation of the engine in all its details. Some of said devices and means will form the subject of divisional applications.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new is 1. In an explosive-engine, the combination of a main shaft, one or more cylinders rigidly connected to said shaft, said cylinders being so arranged that an approximately central transverse plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of each cylinder will contain the axis of said main shaft, a bracket secured to one end of each cylinder, a crank-shaft, journaled in each bracket and provided with a gear-wheel, a piston in each engine-cylinder, a connecting-rod directly connecting each piston to its crank-shaft, and a stationary gearwheel arranged in engagement with the crankshaft gear-wheels.

2. In an explosive-engine, the combination of a main shaft, cylinders rigidly connected to said shaft, said cylinders being integrally united and arranged at points about midway between their ends across planes perpendicular to the longitudinal axes of said cylinders,

the said shaft being arranged at the intersection of said perpendicular planes, the integral cylinders being also integrally provided with brackets extending forward from the open ends of the cylinders, crank-shafts journaled in the brackets and provided with gearwheels, a piston in each engine-cylinder, connecting-rods directly connecting the pistons and crank-shafts, and a stationary gear-wheel arranged in engagement with the crank-shaft gear-wheels.

3. In an explosive-engine, the combination of a main shaft, cylinders integrally united in one casting and arranged at points approximately midwaybetwcen the opposite ends of each of said cylinders across planes perpendicular to the longitudinal axes of said cylinders, the said main shaft being arranged at the intersection of said perpendicular planes, and the said integral casting being cored out and holding inner cylinders in relative positions to receive their pistons, a bracket 56-.

cured at the open end of each of the said cylinders,a crank-shaft journaled in each bracket and provided with a gear-wheel, a piston arranged in each inner cylinder, a connectingrod directly connecting each piston to its crank-shaft and stationary gear-wheel arranged in engagement with the crank-shaft gear-wheels, substantially as set forth.

Signed by me at New York this 11th day of September, 1899.

CHRISTOPHER R. JAMES. Vitnesses:

FRANK B. FIELDING, ANSON P. THAYER. 

